Akira Remake Gets The Greenlight, Garrett Hedlund Frontrunner For Lead Role

I'm amazed that the live-action, English language remake of Akira is still alive. In addition to the fact that the project has been toiling in development for years now, earlier this year the pre-visualization team was let go and director Albert Hughes vacated the director's chair. He was replaced in July by Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra, but news about the film came to a screeching halt afterward. That is, until this past week. On Sunday it was reported that the future of the project would be revealed and now it has.

Variety has learned that Warner Bros. has given the greenlight to the live-action remake of Akira. The project will move forward with a budget of $90 million and will try to begin production early next year. The new movie will move the setting from futuristic Tokyo to a futuristic Manhattan, where the leader of a biker gang tries to save his friend with psychokinetic powers from the government. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Andrew Lazar and Katsuhiro Otomo, who directed the original film, will serve as producers and Steve Kloves, best known for his work on the Harry Potter franchise, wrote the script. Furthermore, the site has also learned that Garrett Hedlund - who audiences saw riding enhanced motorcycles in last year's Tron Legacy - is a favorite to take the lead role of Kaneda.

No matter how many roadblocks are thrown up, it looks as though the remake of Akira will power through. While I know that people aren't happy about the project, what can the filmmakers do to satisfy fans? Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.